Whats wrong with basic human empathy?

[RN7]

I don't have much empathy, and what little I do have is reserved only for people I care about. If I don't know person X I don't give half a shit about what happens to them. Why should I care? I have no idea who they are, I've never met them, I have no ties with them, I have no reason to have empathy for them.

Empathy is somewhat a contrived notion as is IMO.

really ? perhaps you should explain that to a doctor.

lack of empathy is a serious mental health symptom.

you are supposed to be empathic. it's part of normal human behaviour. if you aren't you have a problem in your head and i'm not talking about "a theory" i'm talking about clinical and measurable brain dysfunction.

lolwut? Someone not giving a rat's ass about their fellow man is serious mental health symptom?


I'm betting there's a drug available that 'cures' it, while causing a fuckton of real physical issues and fucks up your perosnality in ways the original 'condition' never even came close to doing.


That ranks somewhere up near "shiftwork disorder" in my list of bullshit mental health 'problems' created solely to sell us psychoactive drugs we don't need.

I believe what the first gentleman was speaking of his a part of human evolutionary behavior. Humans developed within communities that watched out for each other. Even those only marginally related (or as marginal as you could get) were looked out for, assuming they were part of that community. Granted, bringing up this notion brings up the notion of human development and racial profiling, but that's a different discussion for another time.

Now as to the 2nd gentleman, he brings up a more modern view of the evolutionary use empathetic emotions. The human race as a species does not live in small, isolated packs, outnumbered by predators. We (sadly) own the planet, and are the dominant species. Most of the time. The need to look out for each other is still there, but seeing as we exist as one whole community, it's way less downplayed. So much so that individual caring for others can be absent in some members of the species. However, there is a huge difference between having empathy as a genetically built-in emotion and being apathetic because your mental state classifies you as a sociopath.

 

[Candidus]

I am considerate of the people in my tribe. My parents, my sibling, my three friends, my pets. I don't care very much for anyone on the other side of that line. I wouldn't risk anything for anyone outside my tribe.

I wouldn't say I've ever thought about human culls, although in that vein I *do* believe that draconian reproduction laws are a good idea. It's true that we could probably have as many people on the earth as we want- into the tens of billions; but I think the environmental destruction involved in that is a greater tragedy than your fifteen billionth couple not being allowed to spew out another fistful of smart apes.

 

[Griffolion]

The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference, which is merely an extension of a lack of empathy.

It's simply the way people think, I can't say I think like that at all, which is why I got flamed so much for my views on that organ donation thread (tl;dr: all the civil liberties people were flaming me saying how an opt-out system rather than opt-in is draconian and dictator like while debating whether ill people should 'get another bite at the cherry'). I try and feel empathy for others, I think if we don't exercise a little love in this world by simply walking alongside each other, helping each other out, then it truly is a pointless, cold, hard, dead place.

 

[Vault101]

I don't have much empathy, and what little I do have is reserved only for people I care about. If I don't know person X I don't give half a shit about what happens to them. Why should I care? I have no idea who they are, I've never met them, I have no ties with them, I have no reason to have empathy for them.

Empathy is somewhat a contrived notion as is IMO.

really ? perhaps you should explain that to a doctor.

lack of empathy is a serious mental health symptom.

you are supposed to be empathic. it's part of normal human behaviour. if you aren't you have a problem in your head and i'm not talking about "a theory" i'm talking about clinical and measurable brain dysfunction.

lolwut? Someone not giving a rat's ass about their fellow man is serious mental health symptom?


I'm betting there's a drug available that 'cures' it, while causing a fuckton of real physical issues and fucks up your perosnality in ways the original 'condition' never even came close to doing.


That ranks somewhere up near "shiftwork disorder" in my list of bullshit mental health 'problems' created solely to sell us psychoactive drugs we don't need.

I think though there is a distinction

for example if you heard "a young girl was beaten to death in her own home" it might only be for a second but you go "damn...thats horrible" as apoased to say "whatever"

sure you may not know or care for the young girl, but the very Idea of it still unsettling

 

[Vault101]

It's because a small but loud minority on this site consider themselves "cool" and "edgy" if they act like they don't care about morality and similar. Interestingly the people who like to proprogate "humanity sux!!1!1!" type opinions either seem to consider themselves above the rest of us or use it as an excuse to be an asshole.

Pro-tip: If someone commits a terrible crime, that doesn't mean humanity is evil, that means he or she is evil!

yeah...thats the impression I get somtimes

 

[kortin]

I don't have much empathy, and what little I do have is reserved only for people I care about. If I don't know person X I don't give half a shit about what happens to them. Why should I care? I have no idea who they are, I've never met them, I have no ties with them, I have no reason to have empathy for them.

Empathy is somewhat a contrived notion as is IMO.

really ? perhaps you should explain that to a doctor.

lack of empathy is a serious mental health symptom.

you are supposed to be empathic. it's part of normal human behaviour. if you aren't you have a problem in your head and i'm not talking about "a theory" i'm talking about clinical and measurable brain dysfunction.

lolwut? Someone not giving a rat's ass about their fellow man is serious mental health symptom?


I'm betting there's a drug available that 'cures' it, while causing a fuckton of real physical issues and fucks up your perosnality in ways the original 'condition' never even came close to doing.


That ranks somewhere up near "shiftwork disorder" in my list of bullshit mental health 'problems' created solely to sell us psychoactive drugs we don't need.

I think though there is a distinction

for example if you heard "a young girl was beaten to death in her own home" it might only be for a second but you go "damn...thats horrible" as apoased to say "whatever"

sure you may not know or care for the young girl, but the very Idea of it still unsettling

But what else can you do? Why should you worry about something that doesn't directly affect you? Its silly to bother yourself with things you can't do anything about.

 

[awesomeClaw]

Morality is relative, therefore I have come up with my own little morality-scale to tell me what to do in a fuzzy situation. You know what the best thing about having your own morality is? You can break it whenever you feel like it.

 

[Zakarath]

I used to have a pretty strong sense of empathy, but I didn't really like feeling sad every time I heard about someone else's misfortune/tragedy. So I kinda burned it away.

 

[Vern5]

Empathy is somewhat a contrived notion as is IMO. I personally don't believe that empathy (or a better word, compassion) is something that is necessary, or in particular positive. This has little to do with the whole 'human culling' stuff you mentioned, but more the thought that our culture as somewhat spawned 'compassion' as a basic human ideal. This especially goes for us here in America, mainly due to the whole Melting Pot / Every Man is Equal stuff that has happened in the past.

Call me cold-hearted, but I'm somewhat a staunch believer in natural selection (albeit not to the point of, if your going to die you die). The reasoning being that not everyone is really making a valuable contribution to society, and expanding for the sake of expansion causes unbounded exponential growth, hence people supporting this unbounded expansion are providing very little to a progressive society.

Anyway, sorry for the tangent, but I find that empathy is much more of a choice or inherited ideal, rather than something that people should consider a virtue or natural emotion.

So what's your contribution to society? Just curious; don't get offended.

 

[mcnally86]

http://youtu.be/-38C0-SzKG4 I would do this.

 

[Vern5]

I have also noticed this grim trend of people who absolutely refuse to display a little empathy for their fellow man. It's not really that surprising from a purely logical point of view. Everybody is looking out for number one and his closest cohorts (mostly because he sees potential need in those cohorts, not because he actually cares)

The way I see it, a lot of people are like that: pitiless worms whose only drive in life seems to be a selfish need to perpetuate themselves by devouring their neighbors. If i'm right and humanity is really made up of selfish monkey's playing at having more developed emotions then I want to stand apart in being the one monkey who's emotional acting was actually decent.

Empathy is a good thing. It brings us together.

 

[awesomeClaw]

The problem is that people simply dont give a shit anymore. The only time most people give donations is because they are pressured into it, publicity, a tax write-off, or more likely a combination.

Distance I suppose does indeed play a factor, but in that case what do we say about all the funds raised after disasters such as the ones in Haiti and Japan? Japan in particular I know alot of Anime and Manga fans, prime denizens of the somewhat cold and uncaring internet, reached into their wallets and gave more than I'm sure some people expected.

You do realise that them being massive anime and manga fans pretty much removes the entire distance factor.

As for the other people have you ever noticed that they only ever make a big deal and try to raise funds right after the incident. Haiti is still in ruins and still needs a ton of help but you never hear about that anymore. It is because its not popular to give to them anymore.

Morality is relative, therefore I have come up with my own little morality-scale to tell me what to do in a fuzzy situation. You know what the best thing about having your own morality is? You can break it whenever you feel like it.

But if you just break them whenever you feel like it then they really never were your morals in the first place. Your own personal morals are not something that you simply follow only when it is convienent to do so.

One of the definitions of relative:

6.
existing or having its specific nature only by relation to something else; not absolute or independent: Happiness is relative.

Which means that my morals are simply things I use to judge a situation where the clear answer is not visible. For example, should drugs be legal? I use my morality thingy and then I figure it all out. Does that make sense to you?

And yes, I only follow my morals when it´s convenient. As soon as a choice based on my morals starts screwing things up for me, I dump it like a hot piece of coal. Then I pick it up when it´s convenient.

I believe my avatar fixes my position on this rather well.

But will I help people when there´s little to no discomfort from doing so? Of course!

 

[BonsaiK]

Because I somtimes get the impression some people here have a problem with it

Internet nihilism is a trendy thing to brag about having on forums but nobody actually believes in it in the real world where real people live. I wouldn't be too concerned. All those people posting how bad-ass and uncaring they are spend more time helping old ladies cross the street and getting cats out of trees than they will ever admit to.

 

[Wintermoot]

simple it,s impossible to care about that much people.

 

[MrLumber]

Empathy is somewhat a contrived notion as is IMO.

really ? perhaps you should explain that to a doctor.

lack of empathy is a serious mental health symptom.

you are supposed to be empathic. it's part of normal human behaviour. if you aren't you have a problem in your head and i'm not talking about "a theory" i'm talking about clinical and measurable brain dysfunction.

Based off your quote I now seriously doubt that you know what contrived means...

I'm saying what defines 'empathy' is exceptionally shady, and varies from person to person.

 

[FalloutJack]

What's wrong? People are selfish creatures, of course. This is not an excuse, but rather the defining edge of the problem. With some exception, human beings are largely in it for themselves and it is NOT okay. It is wrong and backwards thinking to believe that what the majority is doing (screwing others over) is right. No, it is not. You kill the world slowly with short-sighted twatness.

(Yes, I'm aware that 'twatness' isn't really a word. Still has meaning of a sort, despite that.)

The thing to do is NOT to be entirely self-service, but understand that you do what you CAN, what is REASONABLE. You don't have to be a bleeding heart. Just don't be a jackass. That ain't too much, is it? If it is, I know who needs some time in The Box.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

We're all prone to being shitheads. Part of the human condition. We're also capable of altruism and then the reasons don't usually matter to me. You did the right thing, I don't particularly care why.

Many people say we are predisposed to the survival of the individual but since we are social animals, we're also dedicated to the survival of our society. The monkeysphere thing doesn't mean it's impossible to care about the others in the world, it's just more difficult. Go find a picture of a starving African child and see if there isn't an instinctual reaction to want to do something. This is really all the evidence I need for empathy. That and if we all stop believing in people what do we have? I don't believe in a higher power so I'd have nothing at all if I lose all faith in people.

 

[Bags159]

Why should I waste time caring about someone I will never communicate with, and whom will most likely never know that I spent even a second caring about them? If my city suddenly exploded and there was nothing anyone could do about it I certainly wouldn't want people around the world to waste time caring about me.

That's the way I see it. If you want to try and downplay my opinion by claiming I'm trying to be "edgy" then go for it; whatever helps you sleep at night.